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CORRECTION FROM SOURCE: Tentative agreement reached between Air Canada and its flight attendants

This document corrects and replaces the release sent earlier today at 5:02 PM EDT.

The union representing Air Canada's 6,800 Flight Attendants has reached a Tentative Agreement with the Company. After 17 weeks of negotiations, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Air Canada Component will now take the tentative agreement to its membership for ratification.

The five year agreement includes wage increases, pension protection, better crew rest, and an increase to meal allowances. Some issues related to pensions will be referred to arbitration.

"We are happy with the agreement. We believe this is the best agreement we could get in the current context", says Jeffrey Taylor, President of the Air Canada Component of CUPE. "We will now embark on a road show across the country to present the terms of the agreement to our membership. A ratification vote will likely be held within three weeks".

CUPE will not be commenting on the tentative agreement until it is presented to the Air Canada Component membership.

The latest Collective Agreement expired on March 31, 2011. Negotiations have been ongoing since April 6, 2011.